“…provides an unprecedented look into a rapidly changing industry that will equip the reader with both the insight and knowledge to harness the power and influence of a profession that has traditionally hid behind the scenes.”—Shep Hyken, New York Times bestselling author

“… a full-on thorough examination representing many of the best voices and perspectives that are quickly converging to transform and help understand our profession—public, private, direct, indirect, consumer goods, manufacturing, industry, and services.” —Robert Gleason, Director, Purchases & Supply, Commonwealth of Virginia

“This book explores the many changes that the profession is facing, and challenges individuals to do things differently. The authors do a great job of exploring what change in procurement consists of, and how it is likely to unfold in the next five years, and they conclude with some future predictions about where procurement will go next.... You’ll have to read it!” —Robert Handfield, Author, Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain at North Carolina State Univ., Executive Director Supply Chain

“A number of current issues in procurement will have an impact on every professional in the field, according to Procurement at a Crossroads: Career-Impacting Insights into a Rapidly Changing Industry...The choices individuals make today will determine the direction of their careers and the future of procurement itself. Defining what procurement is and identifying its future leadership are just two of the important issues examined.”—Susan Avery, Editor-in-Chief of My Purchasing Center(The full article can be read on CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly, www.supplychainquarterly.com/articles/20160330-no-procurement-could-it-be/)

About the Item

Foreword by David Clevenger, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Organizational Development at Corporate United, and six-time honoree of the Inc. 5000.

The procurement profession is at a major crossroads. Practitioners are responding to pressure from executive leadership to become more strategic, in some cases eliminating tactical work through outsourcing or automation. At the same time, performance metrics emphasize the need to continue negotiating savings and managing supplier performance. Procurement at a Crossroads: Career-Impacting Insights into a Rapidly Changing Industry aids practitioners in developing a vision for their medium- and long-term career goals, and shows them how to balance the need to become more strategic while out-performing tactical expectations.

Key Features

Presents a critical but honest look at all of the players within procurement and how they may experience change with the coming industry shifts

Shares the authors’ valuable insights, and those gained from other thought leaders, to thoroughly cover a range of topics facing everyone in the industry

Provides research and analysis of the procurement industry that other media have been reticent to address

Focuses on the key relationships procurement practitioners must nurture and maintain to build influence with finance, operations, and the CEO

WAV™ offers survey results of CFO’s View of Procurement, purchasing and supply management salaries, and links to on-demand audio interviews, blogs, and podcasts with thought leaders in the procurement field — available from the Web Added Value™ Download Resource Center at www.jrosspub.com

About the Author(s)

Jon Hansen

As the Editor and lead writer for the PI Social Media Network’s Procurement Insights Blog, Jon Hansen has written close to 2,500 articles and papers, as well as five books on subjects as diverse as supply chain practice, public sector policy, emerging business trends, and social media. Besides being a sought-after speaker internationally, Jon is also the host of the highly acclaimed PI Window on The World Show on Blog Talk Radio, which recently aired its 900th episode. In August 2013, out of a group of 15,000, Blog Talk Radio named Jon Hansen as one of their top 300 hosts.

Kelly Barner

Kelly Barner is the Editor of Buyers Meeting Point, an online resource for procurement and purchasing professionals, and has over a decade of experience working in procurement and supply chain as a practitioner, consultant, and writer. Ms. Barner is a regular guest contributor to a number of industry blogs and publications. Since 2011 she has delivered a weekly procurement podcast that covers the coming week’s events and a guest sound bite with editorial commentary. Ms. Barner has an MBA from Babson College, an MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons College, and a BA in English and History from Clark University. In 2014, she co-authored the book, Supply Market Intelligence for Procurement Professionals: Research, Process, and Resources.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Who Is Procurement?

Chapter 2: Has Procurement (Finally) Come of Age?

Chapter 3: Is Procurement Strategic?

Chapter 4: Is There Truth behind the Numbers?

Chapter 5: Are Win-Win Collaborations Really Possible?

Chapter 6: Do We Really Need Another Chapter about Finance?

Chapter 7: Can Procurement Technology Benefit from the Uber Effect?

Chapter 8: Are the Differences between the Public and Private Sectors Real or Perceived?